next »

[Kokuma]

We don't have Starbucks here in Finland, but nearest department coffeeshop-style thing we have is Arnold's, a donut cafe chain. They have fresh-baked caramel sauce covered donuts, jam-in-the-middle sugarbuns and heart shaped buns <3
They also serve hot sandwiches with different filling, several type of coffee, hot cocoa and cold drinks. Great place but expensive.

Of course places like McDonalds and KotiPizza (= Finnish PizzaHut type pizza chain) have coffee and sweet snacks in their lists, but there's no other Starbucks type coffee shops in these parts, than this Arnold's.

[spiffy]

Starbucks... Starbucks...

Never heard of it, but I deduce its sweets and coffee?

[Mimitchi]

Starbucks is mostly coffee, many many kinds of coffee drinks, but they do non-coffee drinks too and you can get some sweets there as well. They are generally expensive imo.

Their website is right here, it shows some of the drinks they make there. Some very creative stuff.

I gotta say though small local drive through coffee stands existed before starbucks. They just took the idea and with tons of corporate money made it into a huge enterprise.  They did what the little guy cannot

[Elana]

Starbucks isn't in Canada. We got Tim Horton's instead.

Whoa whoa whoa, I don't know where you live, TigerLily, but here in Toronto there's a Starbucks on every block.

But of course for every Starbucks there are two Tim Hortons.

[Kokuma]

Whoa whoa whoa, I don't know where you live, TigerLily, but here in Toronto there's a Starbucks on every block.

But of course for every Starbucks there are two Tim Hortons.

??

I'm not suppose to tell anyone's home place here, I know, but I think Lily lives in same province than you.

How can there be many Starbucks in one city but not in other in same province..?

[Elana]

Toronto's the largest city in Canada, so we get a lot of stuff everyone else doesn't. It's also Canada's economic powerhouse, so there are more people in Toronto who have a lot of money to spend on overpriced coffee. I'm sure in smaller towns Starbucks can't compete with Tim Hortons, which is much much much cheaper, and just as tasty. Also Canadians have some sort of weird patriotism with Tim Hortons. It's a coffee shop named after a hockey player. Of course it's owned by Wendy's Corp now (a very very American company), but people don't like to talk about that...

[Kokuma]

Also Canadians have some sort of weird patriotism with Tim Hortons. It's a coffee shop named after a hockey player. Of course it's owned by Wendy's Corp now (a very very American company), but people don't like to talk about that...

Let's see when McDonalds buys Arnold's and turn them into "McDonutshops"

[TigerLily013]

Toronto's the largest city in Canada, so we get a lot of stuff everyone else doesn't. It's also Canada's economic powerhouse, so there are more people in Toronto who have a lot of money to spend on overpriced coffee. I'm sure in smaller towns Starbucks can't compete with Tim Hortons, which is much much much cheaper, and just as tasty. Also Canadians have some sort of weird patriotism with Tim Hortons. It's a coffee shop named after a hockey player. Of course it's owned by Wendy's Corp now (a very very American company), but people don't like to talk about that...

Brantford and where my college is (Hamilton) does not have a starbucks last time I checked. And I just don't count Toronto because of your comments and such about it being a powerhouse and the like. It's already assumed T.O would have it.

Tim Horton's is the Canadian Starbucks in Canada, no if's and's or but's about it. I just figured the smaller places like where I'm at, there isn't one because there's no need for it.

[Elana]

I'm confused, you don't count Toronto for what?

Hamilton!... I love that city. One of my best friends grew up in Ancaster, so I used to go visit him quite often. He's a jazz musician so he would play in the downtown Hamilton bars (the Casbah, the Underground, Pepper Jack's Cafe, etc.). I really enjoy the Hamilton scene - sometimes I think it's more happening there than in Toronto.

To settle this once and for all, I did a quick store locator search on starbucks.ca, and lo, there is one in South Hamilton Square (not sure where that is), and one in Ancaster. I feel like I've probably been to that one, with Thom... of course he's moved to Toronto now because he's studying music at U of T, so these days we just go to the Starbucks here.

To give everyone else a better sense of comparison, Starbucks is much more hoity-toity than Tim Hortons is. Tim Hortons doesn't give its drinks super long names in Italian, the decor is more fast-foody than faux artsy, and it's usually cash-only - no fancy swipe cards or gift certificates. Plus you can get sandwiches and lunchy stuff! It's fast, it's nummy, it's straightforward, and it appeals to every possible demographic. Everyone goes to Tim Hortons, from the snobby suits in the financial district to the ladies who work in the Chinatown street market. It's got amazing universal appeal. And their marketing strategy is eerily effective because it's hopelessly ingrained in every Canadian's sense of national identity (which explains why I am still talking about it).

Did you know that Dunkin Donuts (a ubiquitous American doughnut shop) used to flourish in Canada, but was driven to bankruptcy here by Tim Hortons?

I don't miss it, myself. I thought their doughnuts tasted like cigarettes.

[TigerLily013]

I'm confused, you don't count Toronto for what?

Hamilton!... I love that city. One of my best friends grew up in Ancaster, so I used to go visit him quite often. He's a jazz musician so he would play in the downtown Hamilton bars (the Casbah, the Underground, Pepper Jack's Cafe, etc.). I really enjoy the Hamilton scene - sometimes I think it's more happening there than in Toronto.

To settle this once and for all, I did a quick store locator search on starbucks.ca, and lo, there is one in South Hamilton Square (not sure where that is), and one in Ancaster. I feel like I've probably been to that one, with Thom... of course he's moved to Toronto now because he's studying music at U of T, so these days we just go to the Starbucks here.

To give everyone else a better sense of comparison, Starbucks is much more hoity-toity than Tim Hortons is. Tim Hortons doesn't give its drinks super long names in Italian, the decor is more fast-foody than faux artsy, and it's usually cash-only - no fancy swipe cards or gift certificates. Plus you can get sandwiches and lunchy stuff! It's fast, it's nummy, it's straightforward, and it appeals to every possible demographic. Everyone goes to Tim Hortons, from the snobby suits in the financial district to the ladies who work in the Chinatown street market. It's got amazing universal appeal. And their marketing strategy is eerily effective because it's hopelessly ingrained in every Canadian's sense of national identity (which explains why I am still talking about it).

Did you know that Dunkin Donuts (a ubiquitous American doughnut shop) used to flourish in Canada, but was driven to bankruptcy here by Tim Hortons?

I don't miss it, myself. I thought their doughnuts tasted like cigarettes.

I just don't count T.O on my list because let's face it, that place has everything XD!! You have to admit that. That and at the time i wrote that post about not having starbucks here, I didn't recall T.O had that until after the fact and I was too lazy to change it lol.

Okay well you proved mr wrong sue me lol. Seriously I don't live in hamilton so I was only guessing.